Help deciphering my dad's Scots Guards service record

Discussion in 'The Brigade of Guards' started by cosimo193, Mar 31, 2019.

  1. cosimo193

    cosimo193 Member

    Hi

    I'm new to this forum, so hope this is ok. I'm also new to having got hold of my dad's service record. It's pretty short, a he only joined up in Jan 1944 and got sent back to civvy life in mid-1946, but I was hoping someone might be able to help a bit on deciphering it. A photo of it is attached, and he was in the Scots Guards.

    There are a few bits and pieces I think I understand so far, e.g. T.BN is, I believe, Training Battalion, 2BN and 3BN are obviously 2nd/3rd Battalion (probably), as I know he was in both of those at one time or another. Also I've been told X4 is something to do with reinforcements ready to go, although obviously that line is late 1945. X8A List, I believe, is authorised to return to the UK, with SOS being when that was activated I suppose, which looks like he may have got injured or sick and sent back to the UK as a result. Y/7 List is difficult to work out; I've looked through here and saw some other people have had difficulty understanding that one but I didn't see a definitive answer to it.

    I'm guessing he was injured (possibly playing football, or that might've been his appendix :)) so sent back to the UK then, 6 days later, may have returned to light duties? Finally 3 weeks later he was discharged as Class W(T) so I think that may because it was felt he was more useful as a civvy (wood-machinist in the shipyards) than in the army.

    If anyone has any evidence to support this, or can give a more reliable interpretation it would be really appreciated.

    I'm particularly interested in knowing whether it's possible to work out WHERE he was at certain times. I know, for example, that he spent some time at Pirbright, and also trained as a tank mechanic type in Bournemouth then, at some point in 1946, was in Cologne (as he has football medals from that time).

    I'm particularly interested in the D.RPKPF item and also whether anyone can shed some more light on the X4List stuff.

    Any help would be massively appreciated and, if there's any more info I can give that would make it easier, please let me know.

    John
     

    Attached Files:

  2. bofors

    bofors Senior Member

    Hi SOS usually means struck off strength, sorry I have not had the time to look at the records.

    regards

    Robert
     
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  3. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi,

    Welcome to the forum.

    You’ve attached part of the rear of the Army Form B102 - the Central Registry Index Card. It’s a précis of more detailed entries on his other army forms - B103 and Statement of services etc.

    The D. string of letters is merely a “draft” code used as a “stencil” on men’s kit bags when sent overseas to join a Battalion - in his case he is going to BAOR Sept 1945. Think of it as an early sort of “bar code”.

    In relation to his unit movements post his arrival with BAOR your best bet might be to get a copy of the Regimental History via your local library. They ought to be able to get you it in an inter library loan - see below link.

    Scots Guards 1919-1955

    Good Luck.

    Steve
     
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  4. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    THE X (iv) LIST comprises all unposted reinforcements and incoming reinforcement drafts.
    Personnel discharged from (x(ii)) to Training Depots, fit for duty, are transferred to the X (iv) list of
    their corps, until posted to a unit, when they are struck off X (iv) and taken on unit strength.
    Reinforcements in transit between the Base and a unit remain on X (iv) (and the Base Depot
    strength) until they actually reach and are taken on the strength by the unit to which they are
    proceeding. Escaped PoWs [Prisoners of War] who until such escape have been on the X (iii) list
    are transferred to X (iv) list on reaching their respective training depots.

    As above really need to see the full service record

    TD
     
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  5. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    D.RPKPF is probably a draft recognition code and doesn't actually stand for anything in acronym form. As others have said, difficult to tell with just the half page posted. Here is another thread explaining draft codes:

    Draft recognition codes.
     
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  6. cosimo193

    cosimo193 Member

    Thanks for your help so far guys. I'll try to scan in the rest of the paperwork I got from the Scots Guards and let you know.
     
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  7. cosimo193

    cosimo193 Member

    Here is everything I've got basically. Unfortunately the photocopies are sub-optimal (!). I've tried to adjust some of the text to be more readable, but it's not great, so I'm not sure if these add much value. As an aside, Steve Tullybrone I've found that book S/H for £13 or so so I've ordered it. Cheers. B102.jpg B200b-1.jpg B200b-2.jpg B200d-1.jpg B200d-2.jpg B200d-3.jpg B200d-4.jpg
     
  8. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi,

    Thanks for posting his papers.

    There is a mistake regarding his medal entitlement. He has no entitlement to F&G Star as he did not serve with British Liberation Army in NW Europe before 8th May 1945 but he is entitled to the War Medal. He doesn't appear to have applied for his medal post his discharge - and I doubt it would’ve been issued while he was serving - so you may wish to apply for it to the Army Medal Office.

    I can’t see anything else in his papers that isn't covered in his B102.

    Steve
     
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  9. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Medals: campaigns, descriptions and eligibility

    The France and Germany Star is awarded for operational service in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands or Germany between 6 June 1944 and 8 May 1945.
    To apply for the France and Germany Star, you must have:
    1 day of operational service in the army
    1 day of operational service as ground crew in the RAF
    1 operational sortie as aircrew in the RAF
    1 day afloat in operational areas of the North Sea in the Royal Navy (provided service was directly in support of land operations)

    TD
     
  10. cosimo193

    cosimo193 Member

  11. Stuart Avery

    Stuart Avery In my wagon & not a muleteer.

    (Xiii) can also mean glasshouse for being a rather naughty chap. Sentenced to how ever many days. Pending on the crime.
    Stu.
     
  12. cosimo193

    cosimo193 Member

    Mmm - great, but it doesn't mention X(iii) anywhere I can see; only X8A and X4.
     
  13. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Have you seen this thread ?

    X lists (Service Records)
     
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  14. cosimo193

    cosimo193 Member

  15. Stuart Avery

    Stuart Avery In my wagon & not a muleteer.

    Cosimo, i sould have said, i was just adding to TD's earlier post 4.

    Stu.
     
  16. cosimo193

    cosimo193 Member

    Ah, ok - thanks for clarifying :)
     
  17. cosimo193

    cosimo193 Member

    Strangely, having contacted the Scots Guards again to clarify this, they seem to believe he is entitled to the F&G star; maybe there's something they know about that isn't on the paperwork :) I haven't got around to getting my sister to apply for them yet (she's the official NoK), but they can only reject the application for the F&G star if, for some reason, it really is wrong!
     
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  18. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Thanks for returning to the forum with your update after 4 years…….
     

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